News and updates from BCSDN and the region
The Policy Brief presents the key issues that civil society and youth face in the Western Balkans. The Policy Brief also gives recommendations to Western Balkans, EU and its member states, on finding solutions in overcoming the issues and on promoting regional reconciliation, especially among the youth; transparent and inclusive meetings between the EU, CSOs
Read more →41st Session of the UN Human Rights Council The Balkan Civil Society Development Network (BCSDN), The Macedonian Centre for International Cooperation (MCIC) and CIVICUS welcome…
Read more →A trial against 16 civil society representatives over their involvement in 2013 Gezi Park protests started in Turkey last week. Among them are human rights defenders Osman Kavala and Yiğit Aksakoğlu, who have been kept in detention since November 2017 and November 2018 respectively, together with many civil society activists. The court’s decision to release
Read more →Recently proposed media-related legislation, including a draconian regulation scheme for Albanian and foreign online media outlets, is not in line with international human rights standards, according to an international joint NGO fact-finding mission to Albania, undertaken from 18-21 June 2019. The mission sought to gather information about challenges to freedom of expression and press freedom
Read more →The UN Human Rights Committee has published the initial draft of the General Comment on the right of peaceful assembly. The draft document was prepared by Christof Heyns, Rapporteur of the Committee and it draws on input received from civil society, academia and international organizations and discussed at the Committee’s first consultation in March. In
Read more →The state authorities and civil society varyingly function for the well-being of people. The state authorities serve people’s interest by making and implementing laws and policies on various socio-economic, political and other aspects, providing different services for people, whereas civil society serves the interest of people by representing public voices, raising concerns, providing intellectual inputs
Read more →In the spring of 2016, the Council for Civil Society Development initiated the process of drafting the National Strategy for the Creation of an Enabling Environment for Civil Society Development 2017-2021. However, due to the refusal of the Ministry of Labour and Pension System to provide comments, the National Strategy has been in the works
Read more →Safe civic spaces remain essential for the meaningful realisation of civil liberties including freedoms of expression, association and assembly. However, civic spaces face serious challenges across the world not only in developing countries but also in some of most advanced democracies and liberal and minimal states in Europe. According to a recent Freedom House Report
Read more →The trend of closing civic space crystallised at the beginning of this decade. In response, concerned international actors- including various bilateral aid agencies, foreign ministries, private foundations and international nongovernmental organisations- are working to address this problem. They have carried out many diagnostic efforts and gained greater knowledge of the issue. They have initiated a
Read more →In response to global challenges, heads of state and government of the United Nations’ members adopted in 2015 the declaration on ‘Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development’. This chapter explores the human and fundamental rights dimensions of two of the 2030 Agenda’s 17 SDGs in Member States’ and the EU’s internal policies.
Read more →The GlobalFocus Center project has carried out an analysis of risks and vulnerabilities in the six Western Balkans countries, to assess permeability to malign influence (i.e. ethnic divisions, group fears, economic disparities, administrations’ disfunctionality and corruption etc.). Through identifying context-specific interests of state and nonstate propaganda/ pressure and pinpointing the auspicious conditions and dissemination channels, concrete case studies deconstruct the modus operandi
Read more →The report, based on a database complied by OpenDemocracy, found that “countries across Europe have criminalised acts that facilitate illegal immigration”. While some laws are said to be intended to deter human smugglers they are also being used to target “humanitarian actors, including search and rescue boat crews and volunteer lifeguards”. As many as 250 people across
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